Annunciator



p 1943" H. PANISSIDI 2,329,782

ANNUNCI ATOR Filed Aug. 12, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l i N V E N TO R I Hiya Pan gse'da.

AT TO RN EY Patented Sept. 21, 1943 A NUNCIATQR' n V Hugo Panissidi, Jamaica, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines "Corporation,"New I V v 'fllork, Y., a corporation of New York? i ,1, 1 f Application August 2, 1942, ,ser ain fisinsefl I ota-um. (c1.--.1v7-s2'1) Theimproved annunciator'comprising the presen't inizention ;is primarily dsigned ior in connection with telemetering systems. of the type shown and described-in iaUjS. Patent of Ward Leathers; No. 231mm,;interment 23, 1943,

m snomer; 'meter reading apparatus. .The intention, hpweyer, is capable of "a-wide variety of uses and. the sameinay; er. without rmpdification, be employed in the conventional type "of annunciator systems used in' hospitals, apart- I The ment houses, schools, ofi'ices and the like. .deyice isfalsoadaptable for use'in rendering stock'lquotations or in connection with score boards, signaling systems and the {like Irrespeetiweg heweyer, of the particular uses. to winch the :inyentien maybe putjthe-essenltial features 0f the same-areatallpreseryed. i

' Heretpfiore, annunciator syst, s have been devised wherein aseries of indicatora'havinglvari ous indicia printed 'or otherwise marked thereon,

are pmje'cted ecross anlopeni-ng in a casingjlfor' f visual observation. -Because of the difficulty en'- countered in projecting alarge number of.these indicators into. position in the same plane, many annunciator systems employ a large number of I openings or windows each associated with a single character or .indicia, Where attempts have been made to selectively project all of the ill-d1? eia cairrying members across a'si'ngle opening in the annunciator casing, the 'projectionihas not been, uniform and the indicators move intoposition in {different planes. Where the system utilizesanlens' through which the indicators are viewed, the net result has been that only those indicators which are projected across the opening in close proximity to the lens become' visi- *actuatihgmagnets y N v I I thisla'st mentioned'ob-ject, the

four permutation bars each having slots "thereintandthe slot thereof being adapted upon sh'iftingnofithe .bars to moiie intoaligmnent in such afrnannnas to provide clearance for move- .meritfof the various indicia-actuatin-g-members. Inasmuch as the present invention is illustrated connection fwiththe displayingfof the ten Arabicfn ume'ralsirom 0V to .9 inclusive, the use of at least four permutation harsis required, this being the minimum number of hars possible.

iThllsyfor' shif-ting the hars, only rem operating magnets are required and thei-nyention distin- }g'ui she's from other annunciator systems utilising tenor more magnets in this regard, Obviously, where a larger number of indicia areto be displayed, thenumber or permutation bars and magnets employedwill beiincreased.

It is a. still further object- 10f the invention to provide an apparatus of. the nharenterv set forth above, in which the mechanism required to shift the permutation bars and l-p-roject the bearing members into jyisible position is extreme? 1y small, thus 'perini-ttingthe use of; relatively ble in a sharp and distinct manner. These inv dicators which areproieetedl'across the opening at a distance from thelens ordinarily appear blurredfand the effect. v s not satisfactory,

'lhegpresentlinventiori is designed to overcome the above noted limitations tl iat are attendant upon annunciator systems of this charactenand, I

toward. thisrend, the same contemplates theprovision of an annunciator system haying .a plurality of movable pivoted indiciacarrying .mem

bers, which areconyeniently grouped in an in operative concealed pbsitidn adjacent the view ing opening of the annunciator casingfland which may selectively be projectedyacrossthe opening forthe purpose of being viewed all of the membersfmoving into position across the opening in a commonplane or are, whereby theyare heldjin close prpximity-to the opening andto the lens is mounted therein, thus assurmgfthat small magnets and, consequently, decreasing the weight and size of the; apparatus. .In other words, it is' lan object of the present'invention to provide anapparatus.;o f"..this character which; is V extremely compaot and not bulky I I o.

A flirther object of the invention is to proyide an ,annunciatoraapparatus in liw-hich} the yarious character-bearingelements are selectively moi/ able from acretraeted position to .a projected ps1- 'sitionin a uniform manner anci withoutiside play, thus-insuring accurate alignment of the characters withf the "vie: ing opening. through which they become visible.' i .t I

Another object of the invention is to provide an annunciator system having .movable, indictarjarrying" elements. the movements of which are controlled by va series of permutationibarsam the permutation bars being capable. of applying a-re latiyely large traveling movement tothe ,in-

dicia-carrying' elements, while at thefsametime these bars" move: ,throughouta. very small L dis tanee themselves. yet al ngther, Object ofo the invention is in pro nature of the invention is better understood, the,

same consists in the novel'constructions and arrangements shown in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an annunciator constructed according to the principles of the present invention. Inthis view a portion of the annunciator casing has been broken away ing 26.

ible, transparent, indicia-bearing member 44, which may be in the form of a substantially rectangular strip of Celluloid or other artificial cellulosic material, or a transparent, flexible, resinous material upon which there is suitably printed, painted or otherwise marked the desired characters to be displayed through the open- While any suitable member of indicia-bearing members may be employed and while any desired indicia may be carried thereby, for illustrative purposes ten such members are shown and each carries thereon one of the ten Arabic numerals to more clearly reveal the nature of the inVen-1 '1 tion.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of annunciator display assembly per se.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3'.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical connections for the annunciator system.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the permutation system employed for obtaining the selected code employed in connection withthe invention.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a. permutation beam and link employed in connection with the present invention. I

In all of the above described views, like characters of reference are, employed to designate like parts throughout.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the apparatus involves in its general organization a casing iii, including a base plate I2, front and rear walls I4 and I6 respectively, side walls I 8 and 29, and atopwail 22. The front'wall I4 is formed with an inclined portion 24 havinga window or opening 26 therein in which there is disposed a. viewing lens 28, which is preferably of a magnifying nature.

.A character display assembly 30 is mounted directly behind the viewing opening 26, and this assembly is adapted to be actuated in a' selective manner bya permutation bar assembly 32, which is, in turn, actuated by means of a magnet group or assembly 34, the magnets of which are adapted to be selectively controlled by .a more or less conventional coding unit 36 (seeFig. 5). This latter unit includes a series of coding substantially magnets of the relay type which are capable of shaped frame-like supportingmembers 4E]. and

a similar series of lower inclined members 42, the outer ends of all the members being pivotally mounted on a horizontal shaft 43, the ends of which are anchored in the opposite side Walls I8 and 20 of, the casing lit, Each of the members 40 and 42 carries onits base portion a flex' from 0 to 9 inclusive.

The members 44 normally occupy retracted positions wherein' they are grouped or stacked, so to speak, on either side of the viewing opening 26 in two groups offive each and are adapted upon pivotal swinging movement of the members 40 and 42 to be selectively projected intoa position immediately behind the lens 28 wherein they are individually visible from outside'of the casing. A pair of guide brackets 4,6 are'secured to the inside of the' inclined portion 24 of the casing Ill and are formedwith arcu-ate guide portions 48, whichreceive the side edges of the members 44 and guide members into close-proximity to the lens28 when the members are projected in the casing Ill.

A light source 50 may be mounted intermediate the two brackets 46and behind the same in the casing in order that light issuing therefrom will illuminate theindicia and cause the same to become plainly visible through thelens 28. Q

Each'of the U-shaped members and 42 is formed with attachment ears 52, to which at offset or eccentric pointsthere is pivoted one of a series of ten-operating bars or thrust rods, including five such rods 54 which are pivoted at their forward ends to the upper U-shaped members 40 andfive additional rods 56 pivoted to the loWer U- shaped members 42. The rear ends of the various thrust rods 54 and 56 are pivotal ly connected to respective operating arms, 58 and 60, which latterarms'are integrally formed with pear-shaped tumbler bars 62 and 63 each'provided with trunnions 64, by means of which they are supported between the two side walls I8 and 20 of the casing ill, at upper and lower levels respectively.

A'vertical strut 66 extends upwardly infithe casing 10 in the forward regions thereof and is anchored to the base plate 12 and upper wall 22, and a similar strut .68is provided in the casing in the rear regions thereof. A series of tension coil springs 70 are anchored to the forward strut 6,6 and to the variousrods 54, while a'similar series of springs 12 are connected between the strut E56 and the rods 56. The springs Hi and 1?. Serve to normally and yieldingly hold the rods 54 and 56in such positions that thevarious indiciacarrying members 44 are in th'eirretracted posi tiOnS. A series of permutation bars 14, 16, I8 and-'88 have their ends slidably disposed in and are supported from the two struts B6 and 68 and project between the upper and lower series of tumbler bars 62 and: 63. The permutation bars are formed with a plurality of notches- 82 in ,the upper edges thereof (see Fig. 6) and with a sim-, ilar series of notches 84 in the lower 'edges thereof. The upper notches 82, as well asthe lower notches 84, are so located in the. various permutation bars thatwhen all of'the bars are in their extreme rear position within the casing ing therein, a plurality of indicating members mounted for pivotal movement about an axis and movable from retracted positions wherein they are concealed at one side of the opening to projected positions wherein they are,in registry with said opening, a plurality of longitudinally shiftable permutation bars arranged in substantial parallelism and having notches formed in the sides thereof, said bars being of lesser number than the number of indicating members employed, said bars being individually movable from positions wherein the notches are out of transverse alignment to positions wherein certain of the notches are in transverse alignment completely across the bars, a tumbler bar for each indicating member bearing against said permutation bars and adapted to selectively enter the aligned notches of said bars when the latter are shifted, means operatively connecting the tumbler bars and indicating members for actuating,-

the latter upon shifting of the bars, and means for selectively shifting said permutation bars.

5. In an annunciator, a casing having an opening therein, a plurality of indicating members mounted for pivotal movement about an axis and movable from retracted positions wherein they are concealed at one side of the opening to projected positions wherein they are in register with said opening, a plurality of longitudinally shiftable permutation bars arranged in substantial parallelism and having notches formed on the upper sides thereof, said bars being of lesser number than the number of indicating members employed, said bars being individually movable from positions wherein the notches are out of alignment to positions wherein certain of the notches are in transverse alignment completely across the bars, a tumbler bar for each indicating member mounted for pivotal movement about an axis in a plane above the upper surfaces of said permutation bars, said tumbler bars having eccentric portions resting upon and bearing against the upper surfaces of said bars and adapted to se-, lectively enter the alignment notches of said bars when the latter are shifted, a linkage system connecting said tumbler bars to their respective indicating members for actuating the latter upon movement of said tumbler bars and means for shifting-said bars.

6. In an annunciatcr, a casing having an opening therein, a plurality of indicating members mounted for pivotal movement about an axis and movable from retracted positions wherein they are concealed at one side of the opening to projected positions wherein they are in register with said opening, a plurality of longitudinally shiftable permutation bars arranged in substantial parallelism and having notches formed on the upper sides thereof, said bars being of lesser number than the number of indicating members employed, said bars being individually movable from positions wherein the notches "are out of axis in a plane above the upper surfaces of said permutation bars, said tumbler bars having eccentric portions resting upon and bearing against the upper surfaces of said bars and adapted to selectively enter the aligned notches of said bars when the latter are shifted, a linkage system connecting said tumbler bars to their respective indicating members for actuating the latter upon movement of said tumbler bars, a rocker arm for each permutation bar having a follower operable upon movement of the arm to engage the bar and shift the same laterally, an electromagnet controlling the movement of each rocker arm, and a keyboard including electric circuits for energizing said electromagnets. V

7. In an annunciator, a casing having an opening therein, a plurality of indicating members mounted for pivotal movement about an axis and movable from retracted positions wherein they are concealed at one side of the opening to projected positions wherein they are in register with said opening, a plurality of longitudinally shiftable permutation bars arranged in substantial parallelismand having, notches formed on the upper sides thereof, said bars being of lesser number thanthe number of indicating members employed, said bars being individually movable from positions wherein the notches are out of alignment to positions wherein certain of the notches are in transverse alignment completely across the bars, a tumbler bar for each indicating member mounted for pivotal movement about an axis in a plane above the upper surfaces of said permutation bars, said tumbler bars having eccentric portions resting upon and bearing against the upper surfaces of said bars and adapted to selectively enter-the aligned notches of said bars when the latter are shifted, a linkage system connecting said tumbler bars to their respective indicating members for actuating the latter upon movement of said tumbler bars, a rocker arm for each permutation bar having a follower operable upon movement of the arm to engage the bar and shift the same laterally, an electromagnetcontrolling the movement of each rocker arm, an additional rocker arm common to all of the permutation bars and adapted upon rocking movement thereof to bear against said bars and shift the same in the opposite direction in unison, an electromagnet for actuating said latter rocker arm, and a keyboard including electric circuits for energizing said electromagnets.

HUGO PANISSIDI. 

